The Altered Seven

Is it a Plane? Is it a bird? No! It's Much Worse!

Leo quickly got the ship into the air and set it to autopilot, heading east. They all gathered in the mess hall. It was the first time they were all in the same place-the seven of them. It was going to be the seven of them who were destined for this prophecy.

Maybe their presence should've reassured Piper, but seeing all of them in one place only reminded her that the Prophecy of Seven was unfolding at last. She had heard it years ago and it had haunted her dreams since. Now she understood why. She was one of the Seven.

The others must've felt it too. The tension in the mess hall was like an electrical storm brewing, which was totally possible, considering Jason's powers.

Killian sat at the head of the table. He was obviously the leader of the quest, being the most experienced and most powerful. Aelin and Lilly sat on either side of him.

"So where to now?" Leo asked with a mouthful of pizza.

"Before we decide that," Killian said, "we need to talk about the prophecy. We all heard it, so I'm not going to recite it. Annabeth." Killian looked at her. "What do you know?"

Annabeth's eyes widened and she paled. Piper grabbed her hand and squeezed it reassuringly.

That seemed to calm her. She took a deep breath. "My mom came and visited me two nighs ago. She said she needed me to do something for her, something that none of her children have ever been able to succeed at before."

Killian nodded for her to go on.

"She wants me to find the Athena Parthenos in Rome. It was stolen by the Romans when they conquered Greece. She told me to follow the Mark of Athena through Rome." She pulled out a coin with the Mark of Athena and placed it on the table in front of her.

"What do mean stolen by the Romans?" Piper asked.

"Athena and Rome have a...complicated relationship," Aelin explained carefully. "When the Romans adopted the gods, they changed her into what could be considered a minor goddess. They showed her almost no respect, favoring gods like Jupiter and Mars instead."

"So the Romans stole a statue of her?" Leo asked. "That seems stupid."

"It goes beyond that," Killian said. "The Athena Parthenos is one of Athena's most powerful symbols. When the Romans took it after sacking Greece, it was like a personal insult to the goddess. She has never forgiven them."

"So where is it?"

"No one knows," Annabeth said. "It's been lost for thousands of years."

Piper stared at her own dinner. The magical plates could conjure up a great selection of vegetarian stuff. She especially liked the avocado and grilled pepper quesadilla, but tonight she didn't have much of an appetite.

"And you have to find it?" she said quietly.

Annabeth nodded.

"And she'll have to do it alone," Killian said. "Percy explained what happened last time. Annabeth will have to travel alone to find the Athena Parthenos. The most we can do is support and pray for her, I'm afraid."

Everyone was silent for a minute. Piper was trying not to cry after hearing that. She didn't want Annabeth to have to be alone, trying to find that stupid statue.

Jason said, "What about the rest of the prophecy?"

"I have a rough idea," Killian said. "I have a few inklings as to who the 'twins' are, but don't know what 'traitor' the prophecy speaks of. As for the last two lines, they reference the Athena Parthenos and where it is hidden. Something to do with weaving, I believe, but I can't think of any monster who can-" He stopped dead.